Vacaville Prison K-9 finds 1,000 contraband cellphones

When it comes to having a nose for trouble, Drako is a cut above the rest.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation K-9 is not only capable of tracking down the typical contraband of tobacco and drugs that sneak their way inside prison walls, but he's able to sniff out something even more dangerous: cellphones.

During the Belgian Malinois' four and a half-year career with the CDCR, working alongside his handler, Correctional Officer Brian Pyle, he has found 543 pounds of tobacco, more than 21 pounds of marijuana, 1.25 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.5 ounces of heroin and 2.5 ounces of honey oil, a highly concentrated form of cannabis.

Based out of California Medical Facility in Vacaville, Drako's most impressive stat came with the find of his 1,000 cellphone on a week ago.

"That was a great, spectacular find, because the inmates had actually lifted up their sink and they had figured out how to fit the cellphone in the back plumbing," Pyle said.

Still, no amount craftiness could outwit Drako's sense of smell, and the dog was quick to alert on the hidden phone with his aggressive scratching

"Our officers had a tough time skinnying their hands up in there to pull the cellphone out," he said. "Not saying that if we didn't go in there with tools and tore the cell apart, we wouldn't have found it, but staff doesn't usually do that So that was truly one of those finds that if it wasn't for the dog, it wouldn't have happened."

According to Pyle, every wireless device has a unique odor to it.

"He'll alert on a cellphone, he'll alert on a bluetooth, he's alerted on a laptop with a wireless card installed in it," he said. "What the actual chemical of it is, we don't know; There's a lot of different theories... I know it's not just the battery and I know it's not just the phone. He can find a battery and he can find a phone. Anything that's ever been attached to a cellphone, he can find it."

When it comes to places where inmates have been known to stash phones, Pyle said there is no "normal."

From toilets to walls and everywhere in between, "There's nothing typical," Pyle said.

"It could be hidden in shampoo bottles, hidden in the mattress ... it could be anywhere," he added.

One of Drako's best cellular discoveries was a phone wrapped in cellophane and hidden inside a peanut butter container.

And he's had hundreds of finds like that, Pyle said.

"That's where he's got the value — and at zero cost to taxpayers to get the dog," Pyle said.

The dangers of inmate communication with the outside world are very real, said Lt. Andre Gonzales, public information officer for CMF.

"Gang related, criminal activities continue, which poses a threat to the safety and security of not only the institution but the public," Gonzales noted.

Pyle agreed, adding, "Inmates still run their criminal organizations from inside the prison."

Drako was donated to the CDCR by Debbie Skinner, owner of Paws N Claws Kennel in Agunaga, Calif., in August 2009 and was the first dog in the state to be cross trained in cellphones and narcotics.

The 6-year-old's road to success, however, has been far from smooth and borders on a tale of rags to riches.

"When we started the program, it was kind of a pilot program, trying to save tax payers money," Pyle recalled. "So we went out looking for some donations for dogs."

"Drako was actually bred to be a full patrol police dog," Pyle explained. "He was sent back to Illinois to be trained but the trainer back there said he wasn't going to work out, he didn't have enough drive."

Because of his failure to "make the cut," Drako was neglected, Pyle said.

When Skinner went to retrieve the dog, she found him "skinny and sucked up," Pyle said.

"He looked horrible."

After spending three months working to rehabilitate Drako, Skinner offered him to the CDCR with the understanding that if he didn't work out, he would be returned to her.

"Ever since I got him in August 2009, he's certified for cellphones and tobacco, initially, then we went ahead and certified him on marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin."

All are issues within the prison system, Pyle added.

"They come in every different way," he said.

From visitors and packages to drops outside the prison that are picked up and smuggled in, officials are working on combating the issue at its source, Gonzales said.

In the meantime, the CDCR is working to track down the contraband that managed to slip through the cracks.

Among Drako's biggest finds are five pounds of marijuana stashed in a fire camp and a cache of more than 30 cellphones.

"We've found large amounts of narcotics. An ounce of narcotics in prison is a lot of narcotics," Pyle said. "Normally we're looking for a few grams."

"We've found over an ounce of methamphetamine at a time," he added.

Searches are conducted both daily and randomly, Pyle said.

"Sometimes I'll come in here at 4 o'clock in the morning with Drako and we'll do a search, sometimes we'll do it at 8 o'clock at night," he said. "One of the things we try never to do, we try never to establish a pattern."

Drako's talents aren't just confined to inside the prison walls. According to Pyle, the dog's nose has also led to the discovery of more than 800 pounds of marijuana and five pounds of methamphetamine while assisting outside agencies with searches.

"When I started this program, they were looking at buying 10 dogs for $180,000 Drako was free. It was a win-win for everyone because if he didn't work out (Skinner) was going to take him back and find him another home."

"When we come inside the prison, he knows it's work time," Pyle said.

Still, Pyle credits much of his dog's success with the trust of other CDCR employees and their efforts.

"Drako's alerts are only as good as the staff searching behind him," he said.